Health - Debate Rekindled in Homosexual Brain Research
By Steven Reinberg / HealthDay Reporter
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TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDayNews) -- The latest research indicating that at least some aspects of homosexuality may be "hard-wired" into the brain has once again fanned the flames of debate.

Swedish scientists claim that chemicals called pheromones that affect our sense of smell are different for gay men and straight men, providing another biologic basis for different sexual orientation. Adding fuel to the fire is the finding that gay men's brain reactions to the chemicals were similar to women's reactions.

All the researchers say is, "These findings show that our brain reacts differently to the two putative pheromones compared with common odors, and suggest a link between sexual orientation and hypothalamic neuronal processes."

Pheromones are chemicals that send sexual messages as often undetectable odors to individuals of the same species. In their study, the researchers found that a pheromone in the perspiration of homosexual men causes a similar reaction in other gay men and heterosexual women.

According to the report in the May 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research team looked at compounds that include a testosterone derivative called 4,16-androstadien-3-one (AND), and the estrogen-like steroid estra-1,3-5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol (EST).

The researchers found that AND activated the hypothalamus in homosexual men and heterosexual women, but not heterosexual men. Additionally, EST activated the hypothalamus only in heterosexual men.

"The regions of the brain involved have been found to be involved in sexual behavior, based on animal studies," said Brian Mustanski, from the department of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Some previous studies also found differences between gay and straight men in these brain regions," he added.

Mustanski noted that this study suggests a link between sexual orientation and brain processes, specifically in the hypothalamus. "Another study, to soon be published in Psychological Science, found differences in the odors of gay and heterosexual men," he said.

Taken together, these studies suggest that sexual orientation has a biological component related to body odor and possible pheromones, Mustanski said. "It also helps to demonstrate that sexual orientation is not a simple choice -- how could such a choice influence the production of and response to body odors?

"These studies converge with previous research using family studies, twin studies, and molecular genetic studies to show that sexual orientation is at least partly determined by biology," he said.

But other experts see it differently.

"This study says nothing about homosexuality being innate," said Dr. Jeffrey Satinover, a psychoanalyst who has written about homosexuality and lectured on its social consequences. "There is an automatic knee-jerk assumption that if there is a difference in the brain, that difference has to be innate," he added.

Changes in the hypothalamus could be caused by repetitive sexual behavior, Satinover said. "The brain is extremely plastic, like a muscle," he said.

"There have been dozens and dozens of studies attempting to show a genetic or biological basis for homosexuality," Satinover said. "Not one has ever succeeded in doing so."

Warren Throckmorton, an associate professor of psychology at Grove City College, a Christian-based college in Pennsylvania, finds the study intriguing. "It does show that there is some involuntary reaction on the part of the brain to a stimulus that is imperceptible to the person," he said.

But like Satinover, Throckmorton believes that the sense of smell is partially learned. "The brains of the participants may have acquired a sexual response to these chemicals as a result of past sexual experiences," he said. "So, learning could be implicated here in a way the subjects wouldn't have been aware of."

From a political perspective, whether homosexuality is innate or learned misses the point, according to Winnie Stachelberg, a vice president at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, an umbrella organization for gay and bisexual causes. "How we treat people should be based on principles of basic fairness and not on scientific evidence," she said

"This study adds to the scientific evidence around sexual orientation. It points to the need for continued research in this area," Stachelberg added. "In addition, studies like this help people understand each other and alleviate fear."

More information

The Council for Responsible Genetics can tell you more about genes and sexual orientation.
http://www.gene-watch.org/programs/privacy/gene-sexuality.html

I don't know your exact position regarding Homosexuality, but if you are trying to defend them then i have to warn you of the severe consequences of following the transgressors.

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Taken together, these studies suggest that sexual orientation has a biological component related to body odor and possible pheromones, Mustanski said. "It also helps to demonstrate that sexual orientation is not a simple choice -- how could such a choice influence the production of and response to body odors?

Well, since the dawn of history, the sinners always had the same excuse :"We have no choice!", but not there is no evading of the responsbility, Homosexuality is a concious choice. I happened to interview one young homosexual lately, he said that just three years ago he found himself attracted to men instead of women! just like that.

Those who have eyes to see, can see that these homosexuals who have surrendered completely are more dead than alive, believe it or not another entity (the Jinn-devil-companion) has taken over control of their minds and bodies with their full consent.

Sodom was annihilated and soon the sinner city of San Fransisco will follow, God knows best which Homosexuals are still struggling with their sinful lusts and which ones have dropped the fight alltogether, and the punishment is set accordingly. Satan's main scheme is to distort the creation (design) of God on earth and in that he becomes a god (a lord) of those who follow his invitations.

[4:119] "I will mislead them, I will entice them, I will command them to (forbid the eating of certain meats by) marking the ears of livestock, and I will command them to distort the creation of GOD." Anyone who accepts the devil as a lord, instead of GOD, has incurred a profound loss.

Thus when the Jinn-companion takes over, ofcourse most of the responses of the body change accordingly because of this take-over. For example i am sure that when a normal man talks to a woman he sees for the first time, his response would be different from that of Ted Bundy talking to the same woman!
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Here are some quotes from the Narth article debunking the above hoax you presented:

Because it is tacit and not explicit, the widely-held and erroneous presumption that brain structures are fixed and unresponsive to experience generates a second presumption, also tacit: That if a brain structure or function can be correlated to a behavioral trait then the trait must be both unchangeable and innate. Unaddressed and left non-explicit, this two-step sequence of tacit presumptions attached to explicit, high quality scientific data but of only a correlative kind, almost invariably generates in the mind of the scientifically unsophisticated something akin to a "belief."

Every single study that has emerged since the original LeVay study that falls into the above class--looking for or finding bimodal statistical physiological correlates (nervous system or otherwise) to homosexual versus heterosexual populations, in both males and females, however defined--comes with the same essential caveat: That cause and effect cannot be distinguished by the study.

Yet the press invariably editorializes, by implication or openly, that each new study somehow builds upon the last; that there exists a slowly but surely growing literature supporting the case that "homosexuality is biological," that "homosexuality is innate," "...genetic," "...unchangeable." Nothing could be further from the truth.

It would be identically and oppositely tendentious to say that "yet another study fails to find a biological, genetic, innate basis for homosexuality."

From a personal perspective, I can't understand homosexuality, I am not homophobic, I just can't get my head around men finding men attractive, and likewise for lesbiamism.

Me neither, i am not homophobic, i have known and dealt equitably with Homosexuals, however one has to warn them of this transgressing behavior.

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That's probably because my brain isn't wired that way.

It's not about the wiring Yeosha, it's simply a choice, a conscious one.

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In my opinion however, homosexuals however are human beings, and should be afforded the same inaliable human rights as everyone else.

I can't disagree with you here, demonizing, attacking, or belittling the sinners does no good, it only alienates them and diminshes any hope remaining in straightening them back to normal.

But i have to say also that a linient response, or an apathetic one will encourage the sinners to further spread their disease. God commands us to forbid evil.

[3:104] Let there be a community of you who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners.

Which simply means that if the Heterosexuals didn't raise their voices against transgression (without insults however) gradually evil will spread and become the Norm, that happened with free-sex, pornography, abortion, ...etc

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What they do is surely up to them, just don't involve me in your little gay world.

It already has involved us in the United States. My tax dollar goes to programs supporting the life style. Same with abortion. We get forced to contribute monetarily to things because of the passing of legislation. I don't see how it can be fair to force someone to contribute money to something that they morally don't agree with. But, that's just me.
On the other hand, how do we decide what we can and cannot legislate, especially when it comes to social programs? It's such a sticky wicket.